Libraries in growing towns will continue to see per capita funding from the Province.
The NDP have announced it will continue population-based funding for Alberta’s library.
The previous government brought back per-capita funding in 2015 after five years without a population-based increase. Provincial funding is set at $5.50 per person.
Sheep River librarian Jan Burney said it didn’t see a huge increase in 2015 because new census information wasn’t available for Black Diamond, but a census was done last year that shows a population increase that will bring $6,000 more to the library this year.
Last year the Province provided $24,750 to the Sheep River Library and this year the library has submitted a funding request for $31,000.
The library’s annual operations and program budget is $310,000. The remainder of the funding comes from the Towns of Turner Valley and Black Diamond and Marigold Library System.
Burney said the additional provincial funding will be used to increase staff hours because the Sheep River Library has seen its users more than double over the last six years.
“We are seeing more and more patrons,” she said. “In 2011 we had 1,300 card holders and in 2017 we have 2,898.”
There are currently two full-time staff and four part-time staff. Burney said it will add hours now and may add another part-time position at the end of the year.
The library, located in Turner Valley, has 23,765 items to borrow including the usual books, CDs, DVDs and more unusual items like tools, snowshoes, walking poles and bikes.
The Longview Library receives 40 per cent of its $25,511 budget from the Province, but has seen little additional provincial funding because the village’s population has not increased much.
Library treasurer Kerri Gallup said it is working with the MD of Foothills on a shared agreement. The agreement would result in $4,000 to $5,000 more for the Longview Library.
“We might be able to open another day,” Gallup said.
The Longview Library is open Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Okotoks Library had a $25,000 increase in 2015 due to the per capita funding in 2015.
Okotoks librarian, Tessa Nettleton, said that money was unexpected and was put into the library’s reserve funds.
The library maintains a reserve fund that would cover three months of operating costs. It currently has around $280,000 in operating reserve funds.
Nettleton said she was pleased to hear the NDP government is maintaining per-capita funding.
The Province gave the Okotoks library $155,489 of its $930,000 budget last year.
“It’s a good major supplier of funds,” Nettleton said.
The Town pays $602,000 annually for the library.
